Phytochemical Screening and in vivo antioxidant activity of Ethanolic extract of caesalpinia bondus (L.) Roxb

Phytochemical screening, antioxidant activity in vivo and lipid peroxidation of 75 % ethanolic extract of young twigs and leaves of Caesalpinia bonduc were carried out by chemical test, and assessment of catalase and peroxidase activities and lipid peroxidation in Wistar rats after oral administration of different concentrations of the plant extract for ten days. Phytochemical screening of the extract revealed the presence of all major classes of phytochemicals: tannins, flavonoids, saponin, steroids, terpenoids, cardiac glycosides, glycosides, except phlobatannins. There were significant (p<0.05) graded increase in catalase and peroxidase activities and decrease in TBARS concentrations in the extract tested rats in comparison with normal control, Vitamin C and amodiaquine tested rats. The various pharmacological activities of C. bonduc may be due to its antioxidant activity

Antiplasmodial flavonoid from young twigs and leaves of Caesalpinia bonduc (Linn) Roxb

Young twigs and leaves of Caesalpinia bonduc (Linn) Roxb is used in the Southwestern part of Nigeria, as an antimalarial medicinal decoction together with other medicinal plant. In order to discover new antimalaria drug or drug lead and also to verify the traditional use of C. bonduc in this area, the in vitro antiplasmodial activity of crude extract, solvent fractions and compounds isolated from C. bonduc were investigated. In vitro antiplasmodial evaluation was carried out using chloroquine sensitive strain of Plasmodium falciparum FCR-3 and selective toxicity determination was investigated using sensitivity study on Mouse mammary tumor FM3A cells as a host model. Ethyl acetate and petroleum ether soluble solvent fractions of C. bonduc showed antiplasmodial activity with EC50 values of 16 and 18 μg/mL and selectivity index (SI) of 0.69 and 0.29 respectively. Bioassay guided fractionation of C. bonduc led to the isolation of seven flavonoids, 7-hydroxy-4'-methoxy-3,11- dehydrohomoisoflavanone (1), 4,4'-dihydroxy-2'-methoxy-chalcone (2), 7,3'-dihydroxy-3,11-dehydrohomoisoflavanone (3), Luteolin (4), quercetin-3-methyl ether (5), Kaempferol-3-O-b-D-xylopyranoside (6)and Kaempferol-3-O-a-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1®2)-B-D-xylopyranoside (7). Structures of compounds 1 to 7 were elucidated by spectroscopic methods. Compound 2 exhibited moderate antiplasmodial activity with EC50 and SI values of 33 μM and 0.33 respectively while compounds 1, 3 to 7 showed insignificant antiplasmodial activity. The investigation revealed that the moderate antiplasmodial activity exhibited by the solvent fractions of C. bonduc might be mediated by 4,4'-dihydroxy-2'-methoxy-chalcone

Antiplasmodial activity of quinine-zinc complex and chloroquine: A comparative in vitro assessment

The evolving and complicating drug resistance exhibited by strains of Plasmodium falciparum to existing antimalarials like chloroquine and quinine (which are relatively more affordable than recent drugs) and advances in metal-drug complex research instigated this work. The antiplasmodial activity of the Quinine-Zinc complex (QZ) synthesized by a modification of the method of Singla and Wadhwa was assessed relative to that of Chloroquine diphosphate (C) in vitro. Measurement of antiplasmodial activity was carried out based on the inhibition of parasite growth measured by the inhibition of schizont formation in freshly collected infected blood samples from malaria patients. A comparative analysis of the antiplasmodial activity of QZ against C showed that its antiplasmodial activity was significantly better than that of C (p < 0.05). The result of this study suggests that the QZ could have a better therapeutic activity against malaria than C

Effects of combinations of ethanolic extracts of Blighia sapida and Xylopia aethiopica on progesterone, estradiol and lipid profile levels in pregnant rabbits

The effects of ethanolic extracts of Xylopia aethiopica fruits and Blighia sapida roots, used by some rural dwellers in western part of Nigeria for arbortifacient purposes, were investigated using pregnant rabbits. A combination of X. aethiopica and B. sapida in a ratio 1:1 at concentrations of 10.0 mg/ kg body weight (group B) and 50.0 mg/ kg body weight (group C), and X. aethiopica alone at 50.0 mg/kg of body weight (group D) were administered by gastric intubations for a period of 14 days from the 12th to 25th day of gestation after which they were fasted for 18 h. Serum levels of reproductive hormones (progesterone and estradiol) and lipids (triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and HDLcholesterol) were determined at the end of the treatment. Results showed significant reductions (p < 0.05) in progesterone and estradiol levels, significant elevations of triglycerides (p < 0.05) and no statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) in the levels of total cholesterol in all the treated groups compared with the control (group A). There was a statistically significant reduction (p < 0.05) in the levels of HDL-cholesterol in Group B, a significant increase in group C and no significant reduction in group D compared with the control (group A). The levels of LDL-cholesterol in all the treated groups did not differ significantly (p < 0.05) from the control (group A). The results suggest that ethanolic extracts of X. aethiopica alone or in combination with B. sapida may actually lead to termination of pregnancy due to reduction of progesterone and estradiol. The results also suggest that there is increased risk of hypertriglyceridemia in the users of these plants but this may not predispose them to arteriosclerosis because of the insignificant differences in the levels of LDL-cholesterol in all the treated groups compared with the control

Effects of combinations of ethanolic extracts of Blighia sapida and Xylopia aethiopica on progesterone, estradiol and lipid profile levels in pregnant rabbits

The effects of ethanolic extracts of Xylopia aethiopica fruits and Blighia sapida roots, used by some rural dwellers in western part of Nigeria for arbortifacient purposes, were investigated using pregnant rabbits. A combination of X. aethiopica and B. sapida in a ratio 1:1 at concentrations of 10.0 mg/ kg body weight (group B) and 50.0 mg/ kg body weight (group C), and X. aethiopica alone at 50.0 mg/kg of body weight (group D) were administered by gastric intubations for a period of 14 days from the 12th to 25th day of gestation after which they were fasted for 18 h. Serum levels of reproductive hormones (progesterone and estradiol) and lipids (triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and HDL- cholesterol) were determined at the end of the treatment. Results showed significant reductions (p < 0.05) in progesterone and estradiol levels, significant elevations of triglycerides (p < 0.05) and no statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) in the levels of total cholesterol in all the treated groups compared with the control (group A). There was a statistically significant reduction (p < 0.05) in the levels of HDL-cholesterol in Group B, a significant increase in group C and no significant reduction in group D compared with the control (group A). The levels of LDL-cholesterol in all the treated groups did not differ significantly (p < 0.05) from the control (group A). The results suggest that ethanolic extracts of X. aethiopica alone or in combination with B. sapida may actually lead to termination of pregnancy due to reduction of progesterone and estradiol. The results also suggest that there is increased risk of hypertriglyceridemia in the users of these plants but this may not predispose them to arteriosclerosis because of the insignificant differences in the levels of LDL-cholesterol in all the treated groups compared with the control

Effectiveness of use of information and communication technologies (icts) by extension agents and arable crop farmers in ido loal government area, oyo state, nigeria

The study was undertaken to ascertain effectiveness of use of ICTs by extension agents and arable crop farmers in Ido local government area Oyo State. Multiple stage sampling procedure was used to select 105 respondents for the study. Data were collected from the respondents through the use of structured questionnaire.. Descriptive statistics such as; mean, frequency table, and percentage were used to analysed data while inferential statistical tools such as Chi-square and Pearson Product Moment correlation (PPMC) were used to tested the hypotheses of the study. The result of the study showed that majority of the respondents were in the age bracket of 31-40 years, which could be categorized as adults, and more of them were males, while majority of them were married. Result revealed the level of ICTs used by extension agents for arable crop farmers were radio (97.1%), mobile phone (92.4%) and internet (81.9%).The result further shows major constraints militating the effectiveness of use of ICTs were network problem in the study area. There is no significant relationship between constraint and level of ICTs used by the arable crops farmer in the study area. It is therefore recommended that government should ensure that farmers should have access to and use ICTs by putting policies in place to ensure all rural area have access to ICTs tools ,also&nbsp; awareness on the use of ICTs should be intensify among arable crop farmers. &nbsp

Abstract B048: Androgen metabolism and incidence of prostate cancer in Nigeria

The risk of prostate cancer among blacks, especially of Nigerian descent, is higher than other races. This could be attributed to biologic and genetic variability. The role of androgen metabolism in prognosis of prostate cancer has been delineated and reported. One of the enzymes involved in androgen metabolism is CYP3A4, which has not been studied in Nigerian men afflicted with prostate cancer. Racial differences in this functional gene may contribute to variations in incidence of prostate cancer across ethnic divides. Therefore, identifying a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker such as CYP3A4 polymorphism for prostate cancer in black men will improve the treatment and management of the disease. In this study, we investigated the genotypes of CYP3A4 of prostate cancer patients from Nigeria for possible correlation to the high incidence of the disease in Nigerian men. The results obtained showed a preponderance of the GG genotypes, which indicates a possible correlation between this genotype of CYP3A4 and higher risk of prostate cancer among Nigerian men

Assessment of Toxicological Effects of Selected Popular Antidiabetic Drugs in Type II Diabetes Mellitus within Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria

Aim: The complications associated with diabetes and the new trend of using combination therapy in the management of the disease gave birth to this work, aimed at assessing the hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic effects of selected popularly used antidiabetic medications in type 2 diabetic patients within Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria. Study Design: The participants, diabetic (n=195) and non-diabetic (n=30) were divided into the following groups based on their medications: 1 (Non Diabetic control), 2 (Metformin), 3 (Glimepiride), 4 (Glibenclamide), 5 (Metformin and Glimepiride), 6 (Meformin and Glibenclamide), 7 (Metformin, Glimepiride and Glibenclamide) and 8 (Diabetic Dietary control). Methodology: Serum protein expression profiling, liver and kidney function parameters were assessed in participant’s blood using Sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and standard laboratory methods respectively. Results: Glyceamic control within the diabetic groups was 29.23%. Urea concentration was significantly increased (p < 0.05) in groups 5 and 7 compared with groups 1 and 8 while the serum creatinine levels in the different groups showed no significant difference. Activities of alkaline phosphatase and aspartate aminotransferase increased significantly (p < 0.05) in group 5 compared with groups 1 and 8. A low molecular weight protein likely to be Leptin (molecular weight 18 kDa) was over-expressed in all the diabetic groups. Conclusion: This study shows that use of multiple rather than single drugs caused significant functional changes in the liver and kidney. The control of diabetes may best be carried out with dietary control and lifestyle modification as well as good therapeutic drug monitoring for safe assessment of baseline organ function

Abstract 1223: Significance of GSTM1 and GSTT1 gene polymorphism to breast cancer susceptibility in Nigerian women

Human glutathione-S-transferases play a key role in the metabolism of drugs and environmental chemicals. There have been conflicting reports on the association of breast cancer susceptibility with null genotypes of glutathione-S-transferase (GST) classes of mu and theta (GSTM1 and GSTT1). However, this is the first report of the association of null genotypes of GSTs with breast cancer patients from Nigerian population. By multiplex PCR, we examined the null genotypes of GSTM1 and GSTT1 in relation to breast cancer risk in Nigerian women. The case-control study included 56 clinically diagnosed breast cancer patients and age-matched control participants. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (Cl) from conditional logistic regression model were used to estimate the association between GSTM1 and GSTT1 subtypes and breast cancer risk. The frequencies of GSTM1 and GSTT1 null genotypes in breast cancer (BC) patients differed from healthy controls (HC) (61% in BC vs. 39% in HC and 66% in BC vs. 34% in HC for GSTM1 and GSTT1 respectively). GSTM1 and GSTT1 null genotypes and their combinations were associated with increased breast cancer risk [OR = 3.06 (95% Cl 0.98-9.48)], [OR = 14.06 (95% Cl 3.02-70.6)] and [OR = 6.98 (95% Cl = 0.11-16.5)] respectively. The study showed an increased breast cancer risk in patients with GSTT1 homozygous gene deletions with relative risk (RR) value of 5.6 than those with GSTM1 (RR = 1.77). In conclusion, the data from our work provide evidence of increased risk of breast cancer associated with GSTM1 and GSTT1 homozygous gene deletions in women from Nigeria

Computational analysis of Plasmodium falciparum RNA-Seq data reveals PPIs that might be implicated in the invasion of the RBCs

In this study, differentially expressed genes for the trophozoite and schizont stages of Plasmodium falciparum's life cycle were extracted from a time series RNA-Seq gene expression experiment. About 28% of the 5,270 genes used in the experiment were found to show significant expression at these stages. Enrichment analysis using Gene Ontology implicated a total of 62 functions as highly enriched from the list of differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Some include; protein targeting to membrane, protein import, establishment of proteins localization to organelle, ribonucleic protein complex, nucleotide-excision repair and processes related to the mitochondria. A protein interaction network (PIN) for the DEGs at the schizont stage was extracted from experimental data of protein-protein interactions and supplemented with data from a protein interaction database. We predicted a number of protein-protein interactions in Plasmodium falciparum that may be implicated in invasion of the human red blood cells (RBCs). Some of these predictions are consistent with those from previous studies while quite a number of them are novel. We also identified 16 protein complexes from the PIN using the Molecular Complex Detection (MCODE) algorithm. The functional enrichment of the identified protein complexes showed functions related to gene expression, translation, RNA transport and metabolic/biological processes which have been identified to be important in the invasion process. The result from this study is meant to provide better insight into disease at hand